DIGIPUB Condemns FIR Against Journalists Over Mob Lynching Post

DIGIPUB, a collective of digital news media organisations has condemned the FIR registered by the Uttar Pradesh police against five people including two journalists. They are journalists Zakir Ali Tyagi and Wasim Akram Tyagi, and three other men, named Asif Rana, Saif Allahbadi and Ahmad Raza Khan. It was on Saturday, the Police in Shamli district booked them for their social media posts on the alleged lynching of a Muslim man, Firoz Qureshi.

Responding to this, DIGIPUB called on the UP police to “immediately rescind the FIR and cease turning the law against journalists who are doing their job.”

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They have been booked for promoting enmity between different groups under section 196 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and section 353 for making statements conducive to public mischief.

“It was also informed earlier that it is clear from the post-mortem report that the cause of death was not assault. The deceased had entered the accused’s house drunk. Despite this, the incident was deliberately given a communal colour and it was posted on social media as mob lynching with the aim of spreading ill will. Action will be taken in the FIR registered as per the post-mortem report. Appropriate FIR has also been registered against the malicious post. The accusations are irrational and hence refuted,” the Indian Express quotes, as the police statement read.

“Registering an FIR against journalists sharing information in public interest is a grave overreach and misuse of criminal laws and an assault on press freedom that has a chilling effect,” DIGIPUB states.

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The collective also claims that since the police has pointed that nature of the incident was not communal in nature, there is no reason for lodging cases against journalists who are putting out the information available to them.

Zakir Ali Tyagi has been repeatedly targeted by the UP police, DIGIPUB states.

Uttar Pradesh police must rescind the FIR against five people including 2 journalists who posted about the death of a Muslim man in Shamli. pic.twitter.com/JpAXoPhEd3

— DIGIPUB News India Foundation (@DigipubIndia) July 8, 2024

DIGIPUB, represents over 90 digital media outlets and independent journalists.